Doppelbock: Top 10 Current Beers and Style Guide

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The importer lists Celebrator at 6.7% ABV and 24 IBU, with barley malt and lager character. It is a recognized commercial Doppelbock reference despite falling below the guideline’s usual 7% starting point.

Start the flight here and distinguish concentrated malt flavor from sheer alcoholic strength. Record bread crust, dried fruit and roast separately before comparing the warmer, higher-strength Doppelbocks that follow. Read our Doppelbock style guide for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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Paulaner’s current US listing places Salvator at 7.9% ABV. Its association with the brewery’s monastic origins makes it an especially useful companion to the naming history explained in this guide.

Pour Salvator beside Celebrator and compare how malt fullness changes without assuming the stronger beer must taste sweeter. A small bite of crusty bread can help separate toasted grain impressions from caramel. Read our Bock overview for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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The current brewery specification gives Korbinian 7.4% ABV, 16 IBU and 18.3% original extract. Those figures supersede older bitterness numbers still repeated in some beer listings and tasting roundups.

Try this alongside smoked fish or a modest piece of dark chocolate, both suggested by the brewery. Observe whether the food brings forward fruit, softens bitterness or makes the malt seem sweeter. Read our Munich Dunkel comparison for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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The brand owner’s ingredient and nutrition reference currently specifies 7.65% alcohol for Optimator. Market labels may round that figure, so use the package in hand when calculating the strength of a tasting pour.

Compare a small pour against Salvator and focus on the finish after swallowing. Write separate notes for residual sweetness, toasted malt and warming alcohol rather than folding every impression into a single “rich” descriptor. Read our strong European beer guide for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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Andechs lists its dark Doppelbock at 7.1% ABV, 21 IBU and 18.8% original extract. The monastery brewery recommends serving it around 7–9°C, a practical starting temperature for a comparative malt flight. Product photo: Kloster Andechs.

Taste once at the recommended temperature, then again after the glass has warmed slightly. Note whether bread, cocoa-like impressions and dried fruit become clearer, and whether the finish remains clean as sweetness expands. Read our dark lager family for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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Augustiner’s current beer portfolio lists Maximator at 7.5% ABV. Choose Maximator deliberately: the brewery also makes Heller Bock, a different beer whose pale malt profile should not be substituted silently in this flight.

Use this to practice distinguishing malt toast from burnt roast. Compare it with a Schwarzbier in a separate small glass and assess which beer feels fuller, warmer and more centered on bread. Read our Schwarzbier contrast for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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Weltenburg lists Asam Bock at 7.3% ABV and 18.2% original extract, with Perle hops and a recommended serving temperature of 8°C. It gives this flight another monastery-associated dark strong lager. Product photo: ManhartMedia / Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg.

Set Asam Bock beside Korbinian and compare aroma before sipping. Then try each with roast pork or a plain bread crust, watching for changes in perceived bitterness, malt fullness and lingering sweetness. Read our Doppelbock brewing guide for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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The monastery’s own shop lists Curator at 7.0% ABV and 18.5% original extract. It describes a dark, full-bodied Doppelbock and suggests chocolate desserts alongside more conventional Bavarian dishes.

Try Curator with a small square of chocolate, then without food. Decide whether the pairing emphasizes roast, fruit or sweetness; do not assume a dessert pairing means the beer itself has a sugary finish. Read our Baltic Porter comparison for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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Riegele identifies Speziator Dunkel as bottom-fermented, with 7.5% ABV and 19.5°P original extract. Its displayed bitterness is a brewery scale of four out of ten, which should not be presented as an IBU measurement.

Serve near the producer’s suggested 9°C and compare the texture with Curator. Record carbonation, body and finish independently so that a silky sensation is not mistaken automatically for higher residual sweetness. Read our Bock beer guide for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.

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Tröegs currently lists Troegenator as an 8.2% year-round Double Bock made with Chocolate, Munich and Pilsner malts and lager yeast. It broadens the flight beyond Germany while retaining the malt-focused lager approach.

Place the American example at the end of the Doppelbock flight and compare its finish with the Munich beers. Look for differences in grain expression and fruit impressions before attributing anything simply to geography. Read our strong lager overview for the technique or comparison behind this tasting exercise.